| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This 2012 book’s title is inspired by a line Cassius says to Brutus in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The author’s inspiration for this book came from working as a student chaplain at a children's hospital in Columbus. The main characters in this book include a sixteen-year old with thyroid cancer and a seventeen- year old who had a leg amputated due to osteosarcoma. Featuring the characters Hazel and Augustus, for the point, what is this novel by John Green? | The Fault in Our Stars |
| At this location, the Battle of the Beanfield was a conflict between the police and a group of hippies. This place was likely built around 2000 B.C. and involved digging a circular series of holes. This monument was built to align with the sun behind the heel stone at the solstice. For the point, name this circular prehistoric monument near Salisbury, England, created by druids, possibly to celebrate the position of the sun. | Stonehenge |
| This politician appeared on It's Academic, competing for Madison High in Brooklyn, and volunteered for Eugene McCarthy's 1968 campaign while at Harvard. During his 18-year tenure as Democratic House representative from New York, this man introduced both the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act in 1993 and the Violence Against Women Act in 1994. For the point, name this Democrat who became Senate majority leader in 2021. | Chuck Schumer (or Charles Ellis Schumer) |
| The beginning of this 1961 novel features a map drawn by Jules Feiffer, who served as this book's illustrator and was the author's housemate. Characters in this book, such as the Humbug and the watchdog Tock, become hungrier after eating several bowls of Subtraction Stew and literally jump to the Island of Conclusions. For the point, name this novel by Norton Juster, which details the travels of Milo through a fantasy world after he drives through the titular structure. | The Phantom Tollbooth |
| Proteins used in this system must recognize a specific protospacer adjacent motif, or PAM sequence. He Jiankui received global condemnation for using this system to modify the CCR5 protein in two Chinese babies. The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was given to Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier for inventing this system, which uses a guide RNA and Cas9 enzyme to cut DNA at specific sequences. For the point, name this revolutionary gene editing technology. | CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing (or Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats- Cas9) |
| One work by this author focuses on the Gardner family and their interaction with a meteorite from outer space. Another work by this author explores a horrific New England town in which the narrator discovers that he is one of the horrible monsters found there. For the point, name this author of “The Color out of Space,” “The Dunwich Horror,” and At the Mountains of Madness. | H. P. Lovecraft (or Howard Philips Lovecraft) |
| This man argued against Bishop Faustus of Mileve after his conversion to Christianity from Manichaeism [[man-ih-KEE-ism]]. In one of this man's works, his mother, Monica, dreams about his re- conversion to the Catholic faith. This man's writings served as the foundation for the filioque [[fil-ee-OH- kwee]] doctrine. For the point, name this Catholic theologian and saint, the author of Confessions and City of God. | St. Augustine of Hippo |
| The common name for these things was coined in 1975 by mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot after his observations of Julia sets. Curved examples of these features include Koch snowflakes, and Diego Krapf discovered that these mathematical features are found in mammalian cells. For the point, name these self- similar geometric shapes, which contain infinitely repeating patterns at smaller scales. | Fractals |
| This writer recounted his stays in Macau, Tokyo, and Honolulu in the travelogue Thrilling Cities. This author of the children's novel Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang included the short stories "Risico," "The Hildebrand Rarity," and "From a View to a Kill" in the collection For Your Eyes Only. For the point, name this British writer, known for creating the secret agent, James Bond. | Ian Fleming (or Ian Lancaster Fleming) |
| The name of this fruit is sometimes mistakenly connected to an Andalusian city, and according to the Torah, this fruit contains 613 seeds. This fruit symbolizes both death and fertility and is featured in the myth of Persephone. For the point, what red fruit’s name comes from the Latin for "seeded apple"? | Pomegranate |
| A picture of the September 11th attacks was once glued onto one version of this painting by an employee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The 1848 European revolutions inspired a German artist to create the original version of this work, which is set on Christmas night. Depicting an event at the outset of the Battle of Trenton, this is, for the point, what set of three Emmanuel Leutze [[LOY-tsuh]] paintings in which a future president directs a daring attack across the namesake river? | Washington Crossing the Delaware |
| This biome is home to over 55 different acacia [[uh-KAY-shuh]] species, and a plain within this biome is characterized by nutrient-rich volcanic sand. This biome contains the Serengeti Plain and is home to megafauna such as cheetahs and giraffes. For the point, name this warm, grassy biome, which comprises the majority of land in Africa. | African Savanna (accept East, West, or South African Savanna) |
| This man published the poem "Fuzzy-Wuzzy," in reference to hairstyles of Beja warriors, as part of the Barrack-Room Ballads. This man, the first Englishman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, wrote a poem praising an Indian soldier for his heroism, which ends with the line "you're a better man than I am, Gunga Din." "Mandalay" was written by, for the point, what British author, who wrote "The White Man's Burden" and The Jungle Book? | Rudyard Kipling (or Joseph Rudyard Kipling) |
| This city was the location of the 1962 Century 21 Exposition, which featured the construction of the Cornish Playhouse and Alweg Monorail. This city’s rock scene was rocked by the 1993 murder of Mia Zapata, and this city was the origin of a subculture and music genre exemplified by bands including Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. For the point, name this western U.S. city, the birthplace of grunge music. | Seattle |
| This region’s first free presidential elections were held in 1996 and were won by a man whose Japanese name was "Iwasato Masao." That man, who later left this polity’s Pan-Blue Coalition, once joined a communist party out of dislike for its Nationalist Party. For the point, name this partially-recognized island country, once ruled by the Kuomintang. | Taiwan (or Republic of China; or ROC; do not accept or prompt on "China") |
| This quantity's partial form is equal to the mole fraction multiplied by the vapor form of this quantity according to Raoult's [[rah-OOLS]] law. In the ideal gas law, this quantity multiplied by volume is equal to nRT. For the point, name this quantity, which is equal to force over area and is measured with a barometer. | Pressure (accept Partial Pressure; accept Vapor Pressure; accept Air Pressure) |
| This novel distinguishes "hooking," the act of taking sweetmeats, from "stealing," the act of taking bacon or ham. A man dies in this novel after collecting water from stalactites and eating candles while sealed in McDougal's Cave. This novel follows a boy who receives a caning in place of his crush, Becky Thatcher. For the point, identify this Mark Twain novel in which the title character is accompanied by his friend, Huck Finn. | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer |
| Hired by the Muscovy Company to lead the “Young’s Cape,” this man allegedly discovered a volcanic island off the coast of Norway. On a ship commissioned to this explorer by the VOC Chamber of Amsterdam, this man searched for the Northwest Passage and became the first European to see an eponymous strait and bay in northeastern Canada. For the point, name this explorer who navigated the Halve Maen up a namesake river, predominantly in New York. | Henry Hudson (accept Hudson Strait; accept Hudson Bay; accept Hudson River) |
| Clark Kerr was the first chancellor of this university before leaving to become president of the larger system containing it. Mario Savio helped lead the Free Speech Movement at this university, which has produced more Nobel Prize winners than any other university. For the point, name this university near Oakland, the flagship of the California university system. | University of California, Berkeley (accept Cal Berkeley; accept UC Berkeley; prompt on "University of California" or "Cal") |
| The so-called Triangle of Death lies south of this country’s capital, and the “New Way Forward” was launched against insurgencies in this country under David Petraeus. One conflict in this country’s Sunni Triangle involved two major battles at the city of Fallujah. Operation Desert Storm was launched against this country following its invasion of Kuwait. For the point, name this Middle Eastern country, once governed by Saddam Hussein from Baghdad. | Republic of Iraq (or Jumhuriyat al-Irāq; or Komar-i Eraq) |
| Members of this genus form chains while undergoing cell division as they divide along a single axis. One member of this genus can cause a type of pharyngitis characterized by white discharge from the tonsils. These gram positive, spherical bacteria are one of the most common causes of bacterial pneumonia. For the point, name this genus of bacteria which causes scarlet fever, as well as a namesake sore “throat.” | Streptococcus (accept Strep throat) |
| This non-Nigerian country contains Lagos, the site of Europe's first African slave market, situated in the Algarve region. This country's city of Fatima contains a shrine to an alleged apparition of Mary spotted in 1917, and an elaborate quinas emblem is situated on the green and red flag of this country. Home to Cabo da Roca, Europe's westernmost point, for the point, what is this Iberian country, located between Spain and the Atlantic Ocean? | Portugal (or Portuguese Republic; or Republica Portuguesa) |
| Developer Tony Goldman utilized this type of already-existing artwork in an attempt to develop Wynwood's pedestrian potential in Miami. Examples of this type of artwork found in Pompeii have contributed to the understanding of Vulgar Latin, and this type of artwork, which typified the New York City subway in the 1970s, is often executed in spray paint. For the point, name this type of artwork, usually illegally drawn on walls. | Graffiti (or Graffito; prompt on "vandalism" or similar answers) |
| A prince became this country's first president after the victory of a "Pathet" faction. Souphanouvong rose to power in this country after deposing King Sisavang Vatthana, who was supported by many among the ethnic Hmong. For the point, name this Southeast Asian country, which became communist in 1975 under the influence of its eastern neighbor, Vietnam. | Laos (or Lao People's Democratic Republic; or Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao; or Mueang Lao; accept Pathet Lao; prompt on "Laotian Civil War") |
| This man proposed the annexation of Santo Domingo, partly as a refuge for African-Americans, with his secretary of state, Hamilton Fish. This man led the Overland Campaign against the Army of Northern Virginia, as well as leading the Siege of Petersburg. This man, who led the effort to crush the first Ku Klux Klan, forced the surrender at Appomattox of Robert E. Lee. For the point, name this 18th president of the United States. | Ulysses S. Grant (or Hiram Ulysses Grant) |
| Some of these natural disasters are called Jökulhlaups [[YUR-kuhl-huhps]] in Iceland, which often occur due to volcanic activity under Vatnajökull [[VAHK-nah-yuhr-kuhl]]. These natural disasters can intensify with tides known as acqua alta in the northern Adriatic, and these natural disasters affected California in 2023 due to the presence of an atmospheric river. For the point, name these natural disasters, which occur with the onset of monsoon season. | Floods (accept clear-knowledge equivalents) |
| In this country, the Pentarchy of 1933 overthrew dictator Gerardo Machado in favor of Ramón Grau. This country adopted a new constitution in 1940 which was in effect until a 1952 coup which overthrew Carlos Prío Socarrás. This country, whose last multi-party elections were held in 1958, was the site of a revolution led by the 26th of July Movement. For the point, name this country, once governed by Fidel Castro. | Republic of Cuba (or Republica de Cuba) |
| This organic molecule is metabolized into theobromine, the main alkaloid found in chocolate. This molecule blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, leading to decreased drowsiness and increased alertness. The most widely used psychoactive substance in the world is, for the point, what stimulant found in tea and coffee? | Caffeine |
| This god tricked the dwarf Alvis into standing in the sunlight to prevent him from marrying this god’s daughter. With the giantess Jarnsaxa, this god was the father of Magni and Modi. This god threatened to kill Loki after he stole the golden hair of this god’s wife. For the point, name this Norse god, the husband of Sif. | Thor (or Thuner; or Thunar; or Donar) |
| One of this country's land borders splits an island known as Tartupaluk, which is located in the Arctic's Nares Strait. While this country controls Machias Seal Rock, that island is disputed by the southern neighbor of this country, the second-largest in the world by land area. For the point, name this country which borders the United States to the north. | Canada |
| Gottfried Leibniz posited a version of this dilemma, asking whether what God wills is good and just because he wills it, or whether he wills it because it is good and just. This dilemma is sometimes explained as a consequence of free will given by God. For the point, name this philosophical dilemma concerning the existence of perceived wrong within an omnipotent, benevolent God. | Problem of Evil (accept clear-knowledge equivalents) |